Democratic lawmakers in Pierre are urging a minimum wage increase in the state of South Dakota. State Representative Susan Wismer says the current minimum wage is not enough for a person to live on. Lieutenant Governor Matt Michels doesn't think increasing the minimum wage helps people. He says it hurts employers, who could in turn hire fewer workers.
"A single mom raised me as a special ed teacher, so there wasn’t a lot of money around. We had a number of people, different jobs and they paid minimum wage. But there was also farm work and other pieces, that I personally know, if they had to pay a lot more, they would have hired less of us," the Lieutenant Governor says.
Michels says he’s open to the conversation because he wants what is best for the citizens of the state. Supporters are circulating a petition to put the minimum wage issue on the November ballot.
